Fan



July 21, 1958 G, E MARTIN 2,646,213

FAN

Filed Nov. 30, 1951 *51194. '//f 4W ww Patented `Iuly 21, 1'9 53 i TNT.{oFFIcE- My invention relates to new and useful improvements in a fan,`and is directed more particularly to the type of fans employed` forproducing circulation 'offair in warm weather, which fans are usuallydriven by small electric motors.'

. It is the principal object of my invention to provide a novelandi'improved Aconstruction of the' type in which not only a-horizonta1rotary motion is impartedrto the fan butalso a Verticall or nearlyVertical ioscillation vis imparted thereto and there ist the furtherprovision of a unique and novel meansiby which such different motionsmay be obtained simultaneously withl each other, or, if desired, may beobtained individually andseparately and independent of each other.

That is to say, according. to my invention, my fan is so designed vasftoprovide means bywhich the direction of air currents is changed or`affected simultaneously in two different planes, as for example,oscillating the fan sidewise in a horizontal plane and at the same timemoving the fan up and down in' a Vertical plane and further to providemeans for adjusting the mechanism whereby the horizontal and/or Verticaloscillationican be varied as desirecl. The fan of my invention is sodesigned and constructed that it may oscillate not only about -2 cxaims.(cl. 'zac- 257) which are adapted to be readily assembled'and which whenonce 'assembled are positively and securely retained in operat'iverelationship and which cannot be readilyy separated from eachother,either accidentally or otherwise.

Otherprime objects of my invention include: first, the 'securement ofahigher degree of accuracy and greater'degree of variety in themanner ofwork performed therewith than has heretofore been possible with priordevices known in w the art; second, the attanme'nt of a higher speed ahorizontal or nearly horizontal axis butV also aboutV a verticalornearly Vertical axis, whereby the now present objectionable inadequaciesand another object of my invention to'provide a construction of theabove described character `in tice to lgive satisfactory and reliableresults. is to be understood that the various parts of of constructionand assembly of the device due to its simplification of design and itsunique 1 composition of partsthird, the attainment of a tained by meansof the same device; fourth,V

the a'chievement of a greater ease in adjustment and repairs; fifth, theprovision of an improved fan which may be made more economically andwith fewer' Operations in the manufacture of its parts,v as well as inthe assembly of the same than prior devices known in the art; and sixth,the provision of such other improvements in and relating to fans of thetype above referred to as are hereinafter described v and jclaimed.

My invention also consists in certain new and original featuresl ofconstruction and combination of parts hereinafter set forth and claimedin conjunction with 'the annexed drawings which illustrate a certainform of embodiment thereof, which form'is deemed preferable and is aspecific disclosure for the purpose of illustrating one embodiment ofthe invention by way of an examplelsince the same has been found inpracwhich the invention consists, can be variously changed within thescope of the appended claims without departing from the broad'aspectswhich the number of Operating parts is reduced to a minimum and which iscompact in accordance with the demands and desires of manufacturers andpurchasers alike and which is not only distinctive in its appearance andpractical in its value but also reliable in its operation and efiicientin its use.V

It is a still further object to provide a device which is constructed ofrelatively lsimple parts and spirit of the invention and that the sameis not to be limited to the precise arrangement and organization of thelinstrumentalitiesy a herein shown and described.

To the above cited and other ends and with the foregoing and variousother novel features and advantages and other objects of my invention aswill become more readily apparent as the description proceeds, myinvention consists in certain novel features of construction and in thecombination and arrangement of partsV as 'will be claims hereuntoannexed and more 'fully deis screwed downwardly so that the staff isrotated by worm 39, gear 32 and worm 36.

The clutch member 42 may be of such dimension as to extend upwardlythrough an opening in a casing 59 which encloses the open rear end ofthe housing IB, gear box, and other related parts herein being describedand as is best shown in Fig. 1.

The upper end of the clutch may be knurled as at 52 to facilitate manualengagement for turning thereof.

A lug member 69 is secured to and extends i i downwardly from a box 32which is a part of the swivel members of the structure of my invention;V

Fig. 6 is a top plan view of the gear box of the structure with the topplate removed therefrom;

Fig. 7 is a side elevational view of the clutch of the structure; and

Fig. 8 is a partial side elevational view of the bracket member of thestructure.

In the following description and claims, Various details will beidentied by specific names for convenience. Thesenames, however, areintended to be as generic in their application as the art will permit.

Referring now to the drawing in detail, in which similar characters ofreference indicate corresponding parts in the several figures, andreierring more particularly to the preferred form of my inventionselected for illustrative purposes, I have shown a fan construction ofthe usual design comprising a base E9, a fan-wheel or propeller-wheel12, a guard member lll, enclosing the fan-wheel, and a main body portionconsisting of a housing i to which the guard member may be secured andwhich encloses the fan driving motor (not shown), all as is conventionaland forms no part of the present invention.

The motor has a shaft lt which extends forwardly therefrom through anopening in the for- Ward end'of the housing I and the fan-Wheel 2 ismounted on the forward end thereof in the well known manner.

A gear box 29 is provided with a cover member 22 which may be securedthereto as by screws 24 or the like and legs 29 which extend forwardlytherefrom are fixed to the housing l in any suitable manner.

The shaft il also extends rearwardly from the housing and into the gearbox and is provided with a worm 39 which extends outwardly through andbeyond the gear box, as is best shown in F'ig. 6.

A worm gear 32 meshing with and driven by the worm 33 in the gear box isrotatable on a shaft 34 with which is also rotatable a second worm 36adapted to drive a worm wheel 38 which is mounted adjacent the fioor ofthe gear box.

A Vertical staff member 49 extends through the worm wheel 38, isrotatable in the gear box, the gear 38 being rotatable thereon and hasan upwardly extending free end which is threaded and adapted to receivea clutch 42. A clutch 42 has an internally threaded bore 44 in its lowerend and is thereby adapted to be screwed up and down in the staff.

A clutch washer 45 (see Fig. '7) having serrations on its opposite faceis disposed on the staif 49 and rests on the worm Wheel 38. Thelowermost surface of the clutch 42 is serrated as at 48, whichserrations engage with the serrations on the upper face of the washer 46when the clutch is screwed downwardly upon the staff 49. Thus .the gear38 is Vlocked to the stafi as member 42 housing I'.

The lug 89 is secured between the opposite side arms 64 and 64 of a yoke66 by means of a yoke pin 68 which extends through openings 'E9 Ain thearms.

The lower end 57 of the yoke 68 is oscillatable in a bore in a swivel12. A pin member 74 between the yoke and swivel prevents separation ofmem- :bers Et and '52.

The upper extremity of the base Iil is 'bifurcated so as to provide apair of ears 76 and 56. The swivel 12 is disposed between these ears anda `pivot 178 connects members E2 and 'iii for adjustment of the forme-1`in Vertical planes. A looking screw 89 is in threaded engagement withone ear 16 for bearing on the swivel to hold it in adjusted position. v

The outer free end of the worm 39 meshes With a worm gear 90 which isrotatable on a stud 9| adjustable up and down in a slot 93 of a lug 94carried by gear box 29.

An adjusting nut 96 is threadedly engageable with 9| which holds theworm gear 90 .relative to the lug. Adjustment of the worm gear up anddown may thereby be obtained by moving member 9i longitudinally of theslot 94 whereby engagement and disengagement of the worm gear 99 fromthe worm 39 may be obtained as desired.

The adjusting -nut may have an extension of such dimensio-n as to extendthe same outwardly through a suitable opening in the casing 59, wherebymanual adjustments of the worm gear 99 relative to the worm 30 may be`made as desired. A tool may be inserted in said opening for engagingand turning said nut 9 I.

An arm IUD has one end fixed to the yoke 64 as by a screw |92 or thelike. At the opposite extremity of the arm, one end of a pitman'or link194 is pivoted by means of a pin 196. The opposite and upper extremityof the pitman l04 is eccentrically secured to a side face of the wormgear 999 at 195 so that as the worm gear is rotated, the housing and fanare caused to oscillate up and down in Vertical planes. That is to say,the main body portion of the fan structure is oscillated up and down inVertical planes.

A stationary bracket HO has one end thereof V fixed to the swivel '52 asby a screw l|2 or the like and has fixed to its opposite free end thelower portion M4 of an upwardly extending clevis.

The upper portion l |6 of the clevis is pivotable relative to the lowerportion l I4 thereof and its upper extremity is bifurcated so as to holdin pivotal relation one end of a connector HB by means of a pivot pin|20.

A lever E22 is fixedly connected at one end to the lower extremity ofthe staff 49 which extends downwardly below the gear box. The other endof member |22 is pivotally connected at 124 to the outer end ofconnector I IB.

As the staff 40 is rotated, the lever I 22 connected thereto is causedto sweep around in a rotary motion. V

The lower pcrtion I |4 of the clevis being fixed to the stationarybracket I IO, its position is fixed and it serves as the point fromwhich the horizonta1, oscillatory movement of the housing isaccomplished through the linkage which includes the upper portion I I6of the clevs, the connector IIS, and the lever I22. That is to say, asthe lever I22 sweeps around, the Vertical axis of the staff 40 isrotated in a circulatory movement in a horizonta1 plane about its axis.

Thus it will be observed that when the fan is in operation, the fanhousing is given oscillatory movements in ahorizontal plane.

A supplementary casing I30`may be provided and fixed to the casing 50 asby screws I32 or the like. This member is of such configuration anddesign as to enclose the working parts rearward of and beneath thehousing and casing. If desired, the casing 50 and supplementary casingI30 may be made integral with each other.

The invention may be embodied in other specific forms Without departingfrom the essential' I 'ters Patent of the United States is:

1. In a fan structure comprising in combination, a support, a housingconnected to said support and osciliatable relative thereto, a motorcarried in said housing, a shaft driven by said motor, a worm on saidshaft, a fan wheel driven by said shaft, a staff, means driven by saidshaft for rotating said staff, a clutch adjustable on said staff forengaging said staff with said means between Operating and non-Operatingpositions, a drive means comprising a worm gear meshing With said wormon said shaft and adjustable into and out of engagement therebetween, apitman eceentrically secured to the worm gear, an arm connecting saidhousing and said pitman whereby With the worm gear in engaged positionrelap tive to the worm on said shaft, said housing and shaft and fanWheel are oscillated in Vertical p1anes,'a stationary bracket having oneend fixed to said support, a linkage connected between said stationarybracket and saidistaif whereby saidhousing moves ina horizonta1oscillatory movement upon the rotation of said staff.

2. In a fan structure comprising in combination, a support, a housingconnected to said support and oscillatable relative thereto, amotorcarried in said housing, a shaft driven by said motor, a fan wheeldriven by said shaft, a staff in said housing, means driven by saidshaft for rotating said staff, a clutch adjustable on said staff formoving said staff into and out of operating position with said means, aworm on said shaft, a rotatable worm gear meshing with said worm andbeing adjustable into and out of engagement therebetween, a pitmaneccentrically secured to said worm gear, a pivotable arm connecting saidhousing and said pitman whereby with said worm gear in engaged positionrelative to said worm, said housing and shaft and fan wheel areoscillated in Vertical planes, a stationary bracket having one end fixedto said support, a linkage connected between said stationary bracket andsaid staff whereby said housing moves in a horizonta1 oscillatorymovement upon the rotation of said staff.

GEORGE E. MARTIN.

' References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTSNumber Name Date 1,189,2'73 McEwen July 4, 1916 1,206,139 Phelps Nov.28, 1916 1,214,198 McEwen Jan. 30, 1917 1,51'7,169 Rogers Nov. 25, 19241,757,797 Gilbert et al May 6, 1930

